It's interesting to glance through the NHL draft lists of the 1980s and see how low some future
Russian stars were selected.

In 1989, Sergei Fedorov was the 74th overall pick of the Detroit Red Wings, and Pavel Bure went
No. 113 to the Vancouver Canucks.

The '89 draft was conducted months before the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was a time of
political and philosophical transition, a period when Communism's red star was fading, but the idea
of picking a Russian in the first round remained risky.

In NHL circles, what's old is becoming new again. Forward Nikita Filatov, taken by the Blue
Jackets with the sixth overall selection in last month's draft, could be the last of his kind for
the foreseeable future.

The advent of a well-funded Russian league, reforms to that nation's labor laws and the decision
of 21-year-old Alexander Radulov to leave Nashville and return to play in his homeland likely will
discourage NHL franchises from investing future high picks in Russian players.

The lack of a transfer agreement between the NHL and International Ice Hockey Federation already
has slowed the flow of Russian players, who poured into the league from the early 1990s until the
past few years. It's a concern for a league marketing the dynamic talents of Alex Ovechkin and
Evgeni Malkin, the first and second overall picks in 2004.

"It's only going to get worse in the minds of (NHL) general managers," one NHL agent said. "They
are going to be more reluctant to take (Russian players) early because they're not sure if they
will be able to come over."

Weary of seeing their best players flock to the NHL with little compensation, a new breed of
deep-pocketed Russian owners is fighting back. Those owners are attempting to keep elite, homegrown
talent within the startup Continental Hockey League (KHL) or secure transfer fees similar to
international soccer.

KHL president Alexander Medvedev, a billionaire who made his fortune in natural gas, disputes
Filatov's right to leave his club, CSKA Moscow, and join the Blue Jackets without paying a $1.5
million buyout. Never mind that it appears as though Filatov no longer is under contract to CSKA
Moscow. It seems Medvedev is intent to raise a fuss over every high-profile selection, and the
Russian federation is encouraging other European leagues to stand their ground, as well.

The Jackets exhaustively researched Filatov's availability and the law seems squarely in their
corner, but until he arrives in Nationwide Arena there will be uneasy days ahead. Filatov's NHL
contract is one of six under investigation by the IIHF.

It's interesting to note that the second-highest-rated European skater in the draft, 6-foot-3
Russian winger Kirill Petrov, went No. 73 overall to the New York Islanders. Petrov should have
been a top-10 pick, but a three-year contract with a KHL club scared off most teams.

Recent changes to Russian employment regulations will make it increasingly difficult for players
under contract to leave. An NHL agent said that a new law will require a departing player to repay
two-thirds of his salary under his Russian contract. The agent said the KHL is pressuring teenagers
to sign long-term deals.

By almost all accounts, Filatov has resisted such temptation and cannot wait to play in the NHL.
The long-held belief is young Russians prefer to play in the NHL rather than back home.

The KHL was unsuccessful in its attempts to lure Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk with big-money offers
before landing Radulov. Although he isn't on the same level as Malkin and Datsyuk, Radulov's loss
still is a significant hit to the goal-starved Predators.

One NHL source said the Radulov scenario is more frightening than losing out on a prospect such
as Filatov because NHL teams are bound by a salary cap and would struggle to match Russian offers.
It's why, in the eyes of the NHL, the Radulov contract is perhaps the most pressing among the six
under IIHF investigation.

Time will tell whether Medvedev's league will pose a credible threat to the NHL. Until the NHL
gets a new transfer agreement in place, however, there will be more Kirill Petrovs on draft day and
fewer Nikita Filatovs.